Decisions

By Terribv

“Roy, I hate to be the one to tell you but you have a difficult decision to make,” Joanne replied as she was clearing the breakfast dishes from the table.

“Decision about what,” he asked as he glanced curiously at his wife.

Joanne smiled at him but it was a nervous smile that he found disconcerting.

“Well, you remember that Chris’ Indian Guides camping trip is this weekend, right?”

Roy nodded. “I’m really looking forward to that, too,” he replied. “It’s going to be great. I’m going over Johnny’s later to borrow some of his gear and,” he stopped talking at the look on Joanne’s face and frowned. “Why are you looking at me like?”

She hated to be the one to tell him. She knew that he had been looking forward to the camping trip for weeks now. She finished putting the dishes in the sink and walked over to where her husband sat. She stood behind him and placed her hands on his broad shoulders and leaned down so she was close to his ear.

“The Girl Scouts sent a notice home yesterday that they had to reschedule the Father-Daughter dance,” she whispered as she inwardly cringed. “It’s this Saturday.”

“This Saturday,” he repeated emphasizing the words.

“I’m afraid so,” she told him as she straightened up and gently began to massage his shoulders.

“THIS Saturday,” he said again.

“Yes, Roy, this Saturday. So you now have a decision to make,” she told him as she continued her massage.

“What am I supposed to do,” he asked incredulously.

She stopped what she was doing and sat down in the chair next to his. “I don’t know,” she said honestly.

“That dance was supposed to be next weekend, Joanne,” he said to her as if she didn’t already know that.

She nodded her head in agreement. “Apparently, there was a conflict with the hall where they were having it and they had to change it.” It was a valid explanation but it certainly put Roy in a tough spot.

“The camping trip has been all Chris as talked about for weeks,” Roy replied.

“And Jenny is very excited about the dance,” she reminded him. “Remember, the new pink dress hanging in her closet that she picked out just for this occasion?”

Roy crossed his arms on the table and put his head down on them. He sighed deeply knowing that he was in a very difficult position. He supposed the fair thing to do was to say that Chris’ camping trip was scheduled first and he was already committed to that but he knew that it would break Jenny’s heart and that would tear him up.

He lifted his head and looked at his wife. “Tell me what to do.”

She shook her head. “I can’t, Roy.” She looked away from the pained expression on his face. “I don’t know how to decide either.”

“So, I’m just supposed to break the heart of one of my children,” he said with disdain.

Joanne didn’t know what to say. She felt terrible for him and she would offer to take over one of the events but the dance was a father event and the camping trip would be all men.

“Maybe Johnny would be willing to go camping with Chris,” she said hopefully.

“So, you’re saying that I should go to the dance with Jenny,” he asked.

“No, I was just thinking that maybe Johnny could help you out. He could just as easily go to the dance with Jennifer. Provided he’s free, of course, and that he would even want to.”

“So, I should go camping with Chris then?”

“I didn’t say that, Roy. Don’t try putting words in my mouth,” she told him gently. “I know this is a hard decision to make. Lord knows I don’t envy you.”

Neither one said anything for quite a while until Joanne finally piped up. “Look, you’re tired so go get some sleep. We’ll talk to the kids and to Johnny and see what happens. Maybe Johnny isn’t even available. Who knows, but we’ll figure something out, okay?”

They both stood and Joanne gave Roy a sympathetic hug. “Get some sleep now and then we’ll talk again,” she told him and Roy walked from the room with his head hung like a little boy who’d just gotten reprimanded.

Joanne watched him go and felt her own heart breaking, both for her children and for her husband. She knew that Roy cherished his children and that he enjoyed the time that he spent with them. It would just about kill him to have to disappoint one of them like this. And which one would it be? She shook her head. Why did they have to pick this Saturday, she said to herself for the umpteenth time.

When Roy woke up, he wasn’t any closer to a decision than he had been that morning. He was supposed to go to Johnny’s to get the camping equipment and he needed to ask him for his help this weekend. He brightened when he realized that he could leave it up to Johnny to decide. If he let Johnny pick which event he’d rather go to than Roy would not be forced to choose between his two children.

Joanne had left him a note advising that she’d gone to the grocery store but would be back in time for the school bus so Roy figured that now was as good a time as any to run over to his friend’s house. He picked up the phone and called to make sure that Johnny was up but didn’t give any indication of the “favor” that he would be asking of him.

The ride wasn’t long and before he knew it, he was knocking on Johnny’s door.

“Hey Roy,” Johnny said as he answered the door.

“Hey,” he replied.

Johnny looked at him curiously. “What’s up with you? You look like you lost your best friend.”

“Not quite but close,” Roy said with forced joviality.

“Hey, I got the stuff you asked for all ready for you. It’s over there in the corner,” Johnny said with a wave of his hand.

Roy nodded. “Um, Johnny, I, uh, are you busy this weekend?” It was just better to get this over with, he decided.

“Hmm. Well, I don’t know yet, Roy. I was thinking about asking Debbie out again. Why?”

Roy ran a hand through his hair and walked over and sat down on the sofa. He threw his head back.

“You are not gonna believe this,” he said as he raised his head to look at his friend.

“Try me,” Johnny answered with a grin. This ought to be good, he thought. Crazy things happened to him not to Roy so he was anxious to hear what Roy was talking about. Johnny took a seat in the chair across from Roy.

“You know how I’m supposed to take Chris camping with the Indian Guides this weekend?”

Johnny nodded but remained silent.

“And you know how Jennifer’s been talking about that Father-Daughter dance next weekend?”

Again, Johnny nodded to indicate that he remembered Roy telling him about it.

“Well, Joanne told me this morning that there was a problem with the hall for the dance and they had to change the date to THIS Saturday,” Roy explained.

Johnny shook his head. “Wow, Roy, that puts you in quite a bind. What’re you gonna do?” Johnny felt bad for his friend. How was a father supposed to choose between his two children?

“I, uh, I was kind of hoping that you might be able to help me out,” Roy said looking directly at his friend.

“How,” he asked suspiciously.

“Take one of the kids for me.”

“Which one?”

“I don’t know. You decide,” Roy told him.

“No way, man,” Johnny shot back.

“Why not?”

“I can’t pick between Chris and Jenny,” he said quickly.

“And you think I can,” Roy asked with a hint of desperation.

“No, I guess not,” Johnny admitted.

“If you have plans for Friday, then obviously you wouldn’t be able to go on the camping trip and I could tell Jenny that’s why you have to take her to the dance and I have to go camping,” Roy suggested.

“Look, Roy, I feel bad for you and all but I don’t have plans for Friday. Is that what you want to do, go camping, I mean?”

“I don’t know. I was really looking forward to this time with Chris but Jenny’s picked out a new dress and everything and it’s a big deal to her. I don’t want to disappoint her either.” He stood and paced the room. “The logical thing to do would be to say that Chris’ camping trip was scheduled first but Jenny’s not gonna understand that.”

“What’d Joanne say?”

“Not much,” Roy said bitterly. “She left it up to me. I just wish someone, anyone would tell me what to do.”

Johnny shook his head in commiseration with Roy. “That’s a tough one, my friend,” he said.

“You’re telling me,” Roy replied. “I keep thinking I promised Chris first but then I can always take him camping. This dance is Jenny’s first one and I want to be able to take her but is it fair to Chris to cancel on him. I’m in a no win situation.”

“Well, I can take Jenny if you want or I can go with Chris. You just let me know which one so can make the necessary arrangements but I can’t tell you what to do.”

“Sure you can,” Roy said half jokingly.

Johnny gestured to the pile in the corner. “You wanna take that or leave it here til you decide?”

“Do you mind if I just leave it here?”

“Nah, it’s all right here for now,” Johnny replied.

Roy walked to do the door and put his hand on the knob. “I guess I’ll talk to the kids and then let you know what’s going on.”

Johnny nodded and Roy pulled the door open and walked out. He had hoped that Johnny would tell him what to do but that hadn’t happened and he still was no closer to making a final decision. No matter what he chose to do, he wasn’t going to be happy about it and that was a fact. He would be letting one of his children down and he felt terrible about it.

That night after dinner Roy and Joanne sat the kids down and explained to them what was going on. When Jennifer realized that her daddy might not be going with her to the dance, the tears began. Chris was silent but sullen. Roy explained honestly to them that it was a difficult decision for him and that he didn’t know what to do.

He looked at Chris. “I know that I promised to go on this trip with you,” he said as he listened to his daughter crying.

“But you aren’t gonna, are you,” Chris asked interrupting.

Roy held up his hand. “I didn’t say that, Son. But you realize that as much as I’d like to, I cannot be in two places at once.”

Joanne saw how beat Roy looked and tried to help him out. “Uncle Johnny can go with one of you,” she said with a smile. She knew that both kids loved Johnny and she hoped that one of them would be happy to have him as a substitute.

“All of the other girls are gonna have their daddy’s there,” Jennifer pouted. She was eight years old and the spitting image of her mother with the exception of her sandy blonde hair.

Chris looked up at Roy with watery eyes. He was ten years old and he didn’t cry anymore so he tried hard to hold them back. “Last year when you couldn’t go, you promised that you would this time, Dad,” he said quietly.

“You’re right, Chris, I did,” Roy agreed.

“You told me that a man never breaks his promise,” the ten year old said looking at his father.

Roy sighed and looked at Joanne. His eyes telling her of the torment that he felt.

“Jen, honey, come here,” Roy said holding his arms out to his daughter.

The little girl climbed up into her father’s lap and his embrace. He stroked her hair.

“Honey, I did promise Chris that I would go on this trip with him a long time ago and I know that you want me to go to this dance with you but would it be okay if Uncle Johnny took you?”

The floodgates opened and the tears came hard and fast. Roy felt his heart breaking as he tried to comfort her. Joanne, too, had tears rolling down her cheeks for both of them.

“Sweetheart,” Roy crooned, “Uncle Johnny and you will have a great time at the dance. And you and I will do something special together next weekend,” he offered.

Jenny nodded despite her tears. “It won’t be the same though,” she sobbed.

“I know, sweetie, I know,” he said in agreement.

Joanne looked up at the clock. “Chris. Jenny. It’s almost time for bed so let’s get washed up, okay?”

Chris normally would have procrastinated and complained but tonight he quickly complied. He felt awful. He was glad that his dad was going to go camping with him but he felt bad that his sister was so upset. He knew his dad must be feeling ten times worse and that he should probably tell him that it was okay if he took Jenny instead but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

The week dragged by for all of the Desoto’s. Roy retrieved the camping equipment from Johnny and he and Chris went through it to make sure they had everything they would need but the enthusiasm for the trip just wasn’t there any longer for either of them. Joanne had Jennifer call Johnny to tell him what he should wear to the dance hoping that it would perk her up a bit and it worked. Johnny had a magical way with their daughter and although she was still disappointed not to be going with her father, Joanne knew that Johnny would make sure that Jenny had a great time.

Friday morning as they were preparing for the end of the shift, Roy handed Johnny a piece of paper.

“Here’s the directions,” he said as he gave it to his partner.

Johnny took them and looked them over and nodded. “Hey, I know this place,” he said with a smile.

“Just make sure you’re on time,” Roy said sternly.

Johnny put his hand to chest. “Me? Late? Come on, Roy, what do you take me for? You don’t think I’d disappoint my favorite girl, do you?”

Roy laughed at the comment and the look of mock hurt on his friend’s face. “No, I just want everything to go smoothly. This week has been pure torture at my house. Chris and I are leaving at six tonight but Joanne and I are taking the kids out for pizza first. Kind of like a peace offering.”

Johnny nodded and slapped Roy on the back. “You worry too much, Roy. Everything will be fine.”

“I’ll believe that when I see it,” Roy said as he headed for his car.

He hoped he had thought of everything. All the camping gear and their backpacks were ready to go. He had arranged for flowers for his daughter to picked up on Saturday. Now, he needed to get home and get a couple of hours of sleep so that he would be prepared to be in the company of a bunch of ten year old boys tonight. The trip on the bus was sure to be eventful.

Joanne tied the ribbon neatly in Jenny’s hair and moved so she could look in the mirror.

“You’re going to knock Uncle Johnny’s socks off, Jennifer,” she said as she gazed at her daughter.

Jenny smiled but it never really reached her eyes.

“Oh, Jenny,” Joanne sighed as she pulled her daughter into an embrace, “I know that you wanted Daddy to be able to go with you. And believe me when I say that he’s just as upset about this as you are.”

She let go of her daughter. “You know, Uncle Johnny is really excited about this dance. He told Daddy that he was practicing and everything.”

Jenny laughed as she pictured her uncle dancing around in his living room.

“Do you think Uncle Johnny will think I’m pretty?”

“He’ll think your beautiful, Sweetie,” Joanne assured her as the doorbell rang. “And there he is. Are you ready?”

Jennifer nodded as she ran to the steps. “I’ll get the door,” she called out as she hurried down the stairs and Joanne quickly followed behind.

Jenny pulled the door open and Joanne gasped when she saw Roy standing there dressed in his best suit. He was holding a box in his hand.

“Daddy,” Jenny screamed and flew into his arms.

“Roy, what’re you doing here,” Joanne asked in total confusion. “Is Chris okay? Where’s Johnny?”

Roy smiled as held his daughter. “I’m here to take my best girl to her first dance,” he replied and Jennifer beamed.

Joanne had a million questions running through her head. “Jen, I left your jacket upstairs. Why don’t you go get?”

The little girl ran off happily and Joanne turned to Roy. “Why don’t you tell me what’s going on?”

Roy walked over and pulled her close. “Everything’s under control, Honey. Johnny came up to the campsite this afternoon. He’s going to finish out the trip and come back on the bus tomorrow with Chris. I took his Rover back to his place to shower and change. I picked up this corsage for Jennifer and I,” he said emphasizing the word, “am going to take my daughter to her first dance.”

Joanne’s heart was bursting with love for this man. “Was Chris okay with the idea?”

Roy grinned sheepishly. “It was mostly his idea. He said it was a shame that I couldn’t spend one night with him and then one night with Jen. After he said it, I thought ‘why can’t I?’ so I talked to Johnny to see if he’d be willing to make the drive up there,” he explained.

“You are a wonderful man, Roy Desoto,” she said placing a soft kiss on his lips. He deepened the kiss and reluctantly pulled away when he heard Jennifer on the stairs.

“We’ll finish that later,” he told her.

“You bet we will,” she said suggestively.

“I’m ready, Daddy,” Jenny called out as she came into the room.

Roy opened the box and took out the corsage. “A girl should always be given flowers for special occasions such as this,” he told her as he pinned the corsage to her dress.

Roy offered his arm to her and she slipped her small hand into his. “Miss Desoto, let us depart.”

Jennifer giggled at her father’s formality.

Joanne watched them leave and stayed at the door until the car was well out of sight. The smile never left her face and as she stood there, she was contemplating exactly how they would finish that kiss because Roy deserved special treatment tonight.

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